Journal
MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 31, Issue 3, Pages 296-305Publisher
KARGER
DOI: 10.1159/000517443
Keywords
Cyanobacteria; Anabaena; Akinete; Heterocyst; Germination; Envelope; Stress resistance
Categories
Funding
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) [GRK1708]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Some cyanobacteria of the order Nostocales can form spore-like akinetes for survival in unfavorable environmental conditions. These akinetes are larger in size, contain abundant reserve products, and can germinate into new vegetative cells. The production of the storage polymer cyanophycin is not essential for the formation and germination of akinetes in a filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413.
Some cyanobacteria of the order Nostocales can form akinetes, spore-like dormant cells resistant to various unfavorable environmental fluctuations. Akinetes are larger than vegetative cells and contain large quantities of reserve products, mainly glycogen and the nitrogen storage polypeptide polymer cyanophycin. Akinetes are enveloped in a thick protective coat containing a multilayered structure and are able to germinate into new vegetative cells under suitable growth conditions. Here, we summarize the significant morphological and physiological changes that occur during akinete differentiation and germination and present our investigation of the physiological function of the storage polymer cyanophycin in these cellular processes. We show that the cyanophycin production is not required for formation and germination of the akinetes in the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available